This is how classical singers shorten their careers and cause themselves vocal problems. Fleming has a fine voice, but she is trying to be all things to all people.
This is lovely. Battle's is lovely. Garland's is lovely. Songwriters must love it when lots of great singers add to the life of their great songs! Each brings something new...something from their own life experience that adds new colours.
RE: Battle....perhaps. But in my experience, Ms. Battle is one of the most horrible human beings I've ever met. She is rude, and tyrannical - which makes her singing less palatable to me. I had the occasion to bring her to Brevard Music Center a number of years ago. After that experience, I took all of my recordings of her and put them in the trash. I never want to hear her again.
You may say I am not an expert, but I just simply like her version. I think she already is very good, I like the jazz bits. And I would kill to sound like her. Can you please just respect my opinion? As I also respect you guys saying she is not good enough:))
@omgomgomgurgood If RF wasn't that good, she wouldn't be in the Met, and she wouldn't be singing in the finest venues in the world. The musicians and singers at the top had to win a series of competitions to achieve their position against fierce opponents, and work hard to remain there.
hands down the best rendition of this song ever. i love how she works within the "classical" framework without losing touch with the strong emotions connected with the song. amazing.
i dont like how opera singers especially women sing all the words of a song in full voice. listen to 5:46-5:53 and tell me it doesnt sound odd. no wonder sarah is the best selling.
@FreyaDiamond I don't think I've ever read such a stupid statement. You clearly aren't a singer, so why would you ever dream of making such an idiotic comment? Do you understand what it's like to sing with enough room to fit a baseball in your head is like? Sarah Brightman is horrid singer in comparison to Renee, and the fact that you would even make such a comparison shows your lack of musical intellect.
@FreyaDiamond have you heard renee's head or "normal" voice? she can barely sing without singing opera, enough said" This is a stupid comment, you clearly don't know anything about singing, so why you're running your mouth is beyond me. Go do something productive with your life, going to school would always be an idea.
Bitch if you don't like opera stay off of operatic videos.
Thank you for this video : I really enjoy the fantastic lyrical qualities of Renee Fleming and I don't care about so called experts who are constantly critizing talented people.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
@rayvanangeltjes So what you are telling us is that you prefer to remain with your head in the sand to learning from people who know better? Interesting...
@tenore23 NO NO NO...nobody knows better than what you feel as a listener.
It's not hiding your head in the sand when your ears have the privelege of hearing such a beautiful voice as Renee Fleming's. She's a gift............. no matter what!
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
@pianonine Spare me. Just because your ears go in spasmic orgasms it goes not mean that what you are hearing is good; it only means that you liked it. Your ears are not the arbiter of what is good singing, they are the arbiter of what YOU like.
@tenore23 Now that's a goofy statement! What critics don't seem to understand is that they are simply individuals that explain what they personally hear through their own ears and then go about describing what that sound did for them and only them. Music is for personal interpretation with the goal of providing joy. It is not life and death and there is no FINAL right ot wrong answer as to it's worth other than to each person who hears it and either receives joy or doesn't.
@tenore23 As a professional singer Renee's job is to please people. Therefor is someone likes it, she must be succeeding. Don't be jaded because Renee has succeeded in winning the hearts of so many.
Yeah, Battel does sang this alot better than Renee Fleming. Renee is good but she is not good with Gershwin or Harold arlen music such as "summertime" or Somewhere over the rainbow.
You ask what I think. Well, I am very impressed and humbled by the dexterous, well schooled and depth of colour the orchestra creates. The produced sound easily rivals many great western orchestras. It is wonderful. Fleming is a very versatile artist even seems at easy with jazz.
The audience seems to love this wonderful that the language of art can traverse cultural, political, and linguistic barriers. This gives me hope. Thanks I very much like this. Be well and happy :). Kind and warm regards,
@TheWisemonkey8 Renee actually started out with jazz. some one found her singing with a group or something on a cruise boat and told her she could go far if she went into training. talk about awesome
I always marvel at the Renee's vocal capacity but why does she always try so hard to communicate? Perhaps someone should give her a stiff drink so that she doesn't feel that she has to ensure her message comes across through over acting. Such a waste of a great instrument!
She is a singer who pays close attention to articulation :) Because when a audience member is about 300 feet away in a HUGE concert hall they want to understand whats she is singing with emotion.
I heard Renee singing this live a couple of years ago and I liked it very much. I prefer the operatic stuff but do like the Haunted Heart recording too. Thanks for the post.
I`m sorry. I don`t know who you are. but my comments are only dedicated to manrico60. if so please tell me clearly what you need. make a mention of what bothers you and I will give you an apology would not make a comment like this. I know the concept of civility, but also the defense of my point at any level.
I think if you were wise you would delete all of the negative remarks, because who wants to hear detremental remarks anyways. These people have to feed their egos.
If a singer like Fleming is doing this, she should expect some people to like it and some not to. Criticism is part of the business and if she can't take it she should retire.
Her version of this song has been paraded & criticized all over the world. I would think it wise in her part to take a look at the criticism and see what can she can learn.
I think she's been stubborn not listening to the criticism. Neither the criticism nor her singing of this have changed. What does that tell you?
it tells that she does not care and she can use her aritistry outside the narrow boxes of people's minds and make something beautiful! she's an artist-- it's what she does!!
Do you really want to have this discussion with me? Have you taken a look at the score? Have you taken a look at the Gershwin style? Have you paid attention?
This arrangement has been criticized for being overindulgent, ugly & contrary to the style & the spirit of the piece. Even as "something new", she's been criticized for not offering anything that someone hasn't done before & better in this piece.
People appreciate trial and error, but when the error is repeated ad nauseam there's a limit
Arlen wrote this piece, not Gershwin. And as for not offering anything new, ha! To imply that a musician should approach a work with a deep concern for originality is just silly. And as for serving the original intent of the score, we're talking about a song which is probably the most wildly known in the American Songbook and has been adopted into our cultural heritage to such a degree that inevitably it has evolved over time in a range of interpretations.
It can be sang with naivety, cynicism, hopefulness, despair or gravitas - that ambiguity and universality is part of what makes it an important and lasting work.
She also leaves too long of an interlude between phrases which gives the overall piece a sense of disconnection. I'm also not sure about that jazz bit at the end but ultimately she is the artist so I respect her decisions. Another thing, she actually bowed before the audience started clapping at the end of the piece which was a bit bizarre, although I've never seen her do that before...all in all she's much better in other repertoire.
She's the most superb performer, the room is white hot for her and she just wants to thank a foreigh audience with a song she thinks they all know and love, nothing more, just a message of love and hope to finish off a highly successful evening with gratitude and positivity, and they love it just as she wanted them to.
okay...I understand that this song is beautiful and why she insists on singing it but in my humble opinion the original version from the Wizard of Oz sung by Judy Garland is by far the best. Renee of course has the right to do her own interpretation of the song, as have many others but for someone with such a beautiful instrument, imo, she falls short here and this is why:
She does some variations on the melody that are not necessary-she needs to realize that less is more sometimes...
This is how classical singers shorten their careers and cause themselves vocal problems. Fleming has a fine voice, but she is trying to be all things to all people.
vocalissimo1 1 month ago
Laboriously bad.
Josquinquin 2 months ago
This is lovely. Battle's is lovely. Garland's is lovely. Songwriters must love it when lots of great singers add to the life of their great songs! Each brings something new...something from their own life experience that adds new colours.
jimdivax 3 months ago
Nice.
lty2k84 5 months ago
RE: Battle....perhaps. But in my experience, Ms. Battle is one of the most horrible human beings I've ever met. She is rude, and tyrannical - which makes her singing less palatable to me. I had the occasion to bring her to Brevard Music Center a number of years ago. After that experience, I took all of my recordings of her and put them in the trash. I never want to hear her again.
HawneyChile 5 months ago
Comment removed
cdoets 5 months ago
She's kidding...right?
rambrewster 5 months ago
LOVE, LOVE !!!!!
tenormartins 6 months ago
You may say I am not an expert, but I just simply like her version. I think she already is very good, I like the jazz bits. And I would kill to sound like her. Can you please just respect my opinion? As I also respect you guys saying she is not good enough:))
omgomgomgurgood 7 months ago 3
@omgomgomgurgood If RF wasn't that good, she wouldn't be in the Met, and she wouldn't be singing in the finest venues in the world. The musicians and singers at the top had to win a series of competitions to achieve their position against fierce opponents, and work hard to remain there.
Your opinion is as valid as anyone's here.
barbacoa666 6 months ago
I'm not much into her lower register, but she sounds good high up.
flaze3 10 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
another classical singer whose technique seems to be: sound like kermit the frog.
imPathogenic 11 months ago
Its quite amazing how you cant hear her at all when she is just talking but when she sings, her powerhouse voice just fills the room.
Falln4DarkAngel 1 year ago 5
let's hear it for the churchville-chili high school graduate!!!!
mandyboo728 1 year ago
hands down the best rendition of this song ever. i love how she works within the "classical" framework without losing touch with the strong emotions connected with the song. amazing.
jigscarag 1 year ago
Well, I was a little bit sceptical about her singing of this kind of music, but that was very nice and touching.
delauge 1 year ago
i dont like how opera singers especially women sing all the words of a song in full voice. listen to 5:46-5:53 and tell me it doesnt sound odd. no wonder sarah is the best selling.
FreyaDiamond 1 year ago
@FreyaDiamond I don't think I've ever read such a stupid statement. You clearly aren't a singer, so why would you ever dream of making such an idiotic comment? Do you understand what it's like to sing with enough room to fit a baseball in your head is like? Sarah Brightman is horrid singer in comparison to Renee, and the fact that you would even make such a comparison shows your lack of musical intellect.
tenor220 1 year ago 2
@tenor220 lol your an idiot.
FreyaDiamond 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@FreyaDiamond have you heard renee's head or "normal" voice? she can barely sing without singing opera, enough said" This is a stupid comment, you clearly don't know anything about singing, so why you're running your mouth is beyond me. Go do something productive with your life, going to school would always be an idea.
Bitch if you don't like opera stay off of operatic videos.
tenor220 1 year ago
I love Renee but I have to say that Audra Mcdonald sings this the best ( to me) as a classical vocalist.
chrisscruzzz 1 year ago
Ms. Fleming is a Great Artist. I love Singers and think she is Great. And I know what I am talking about because I can sing as well as Preach.
Fr. Dwight
MrMaxwellnith 1 year ago
Love her. Love her. Love her!!!!!
khboxster 1 year ago 2
i would love to see her in concert!!!!!
katieboyd1 1 year ago
Awesome!!!
Od3tt301 1 year ago
Thank you for this video : I really enjoy the fantastic lyrical qualities of Renee Fleming and I don't care about so called experts who are constantly critizing talented people.
rayvanangeltjes 1 year ago 13
This comment has received too many negative votes show
@rayvanangeltjes So what you are telling us is that you prefer to remain with your head in the sand to learning from people who know better? Interesting...
tenore23 1 year ago
@tenore23 NO NO NO...nobody knows better than what you feel as a listener.
It's not hiding your head in the sand when your ears have the privelege of hearing such a beautiful voice as Renee Fleming's. She's a gift............. no matter what!
pianonine 1 year ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
@pianonine Spare me. Just because your ears go in spasmic orgasms it goes not mean that what you are hearing is good; it only means that you liked it. Your ears are not the arbiter of what is good singing, they are the arbiter of what YOU like.
tenore23 1 year ago
Comment removed
MrAndrewPotts 10 months ago
@tenore23 Now that's a goofy statement! What critics don't seem to understand is that they are simply individuals that explain what they personally hear through their own ears and then go about describing what that sound did for them and only them. Music is for personal interpretation with the goal of providing joy. It is not life and death and there is no FINAL right ot wrong answer as to it's worth other than to each person who hears it and either receives joy or doesn't.
gczwarkiel 9 months ago
@tenore23 As a professional singer Renee's job is to please people. Therefor is someone likes it, she must be succeeding. Don't be jaded because Renee has succeeded in winning the hearts of so many.
joshuaeb12 9 months ago
Too many mannerisms.
1Renbar 1 year ago
such a big voice...dunno how i feel about it with this song. course, everyone has their OWN opinions.
prettyinpink7191 1 year ago
@prettyinpink7191 her voice is not that big
Royalorgans 1 year ago
Enjoyable. Notice how the Diva changed the tone colour to a more nasal one in genre of musical theatre.
tarantellaonline 1 year ago
Beautiful... but way to slow.... I was falling asleep! But Rene Flemming is AMAZING!!!
disquand 1 year ago
this dress is not for her.
sveiksveiki 2 years ago
Kathleen Battle does a better job with this song.
Royalorgans 2 years ago
You know? for all her put on airs, I agree. Battle sang this with such simplicity is was just beautiful.
tenore23 2 years ago
Yeah, Battel does sang this alot better than Renee Fleming. Renee is good but she is not good with Gershwin or Harold arlen music such as "summertime" or Somewhere over the rainbow.
Royalorgans 2 years ago
@Royalorgans Battle sings like Disney princess. Boring.
musiclawton 1 year ago
Comment removed
rogue4556 1 year ago
@Royalorgans Renee has a some-what better voice quality than kathleen battle. she's good but she's not there yet.
rogue4556 1 year ago
You ask what I think. Well, I am very impressed and humbled by the dexterous, well schooled and depth of colour the orchestra creates. The produced sound easily rivals many great western orchestras. It is wonderful. Fleming is a very versatile artist even seems at easy with jazz.
TheWisemonkey8 2 years ago
The audience seems to love this wonderful that the language of art can traverse cultural, political, and linguistic barriers. This gives me hope. Thanks I very much like this. Be well and happy :). Kind and warm regards,
TheWisemonkey8 2 years ago
I totally agree with you.
lady00010 2 years ago
@TheWisemonkey8 Renee actually started out with jazz. some one found her singing with a group or something on a cruise boat and told her she could go far if she went into training. talk about awesome
rogue4556 1 year ago
Merci!
tychaton08 2 years ago
I always marvel at the Renee's vocal capacity but why does she always try so hard to communicate? Perhaps someone should give her a stiff drink so that she doesn't feel that she has to ensure her message comes across through over acting. Such a waste of a great instrument!
jacksvoice 2 years ago
sigh....... chacun a son gout brother!
ronies78 2 years ago
pls..... stop ..... that was so beautiful and artistic!
ronies78 2 years ago
If she used less chest voice, she'd have done this much better.
A Renee fan.
Liwah 2 years ago
what the hell are histerionics ?
benalbanach 2 years ago
She is a singer who pays close attention to articulation :) Because when a audience member is about 300 feet away in a HUGE concert hall they want to understand whats she is singing with emotion.
classicalgal14 2 years ago
I heard Renee singing this live a couple of years ago and I liked it very much. I prefer the operatic stuff but do like the Haunted Heart recording too. Thanks for the post.
mapaford518 2 years ago
I`m sorry. I don`t know who you are. but my comments are only dedicated to manrico60. if so please tell me clearly what you need. make a mention of what bothers you and I will give you an apology would not make a comment like this. I know the concept of civility, but also the defense of my point at any level.
THESPINTO 2 years ago
E' una grande!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lakme1985 2 years ago 2
Dear Tenore23:
I think if you were wise you would delete all of the negative remarks, because who wants to hear detremental remarks anyways. These people have to feed their egos.
glomur1 2 years ago
If a singer like Fleming is doing this, she should expect some people to like it and some not to. Criticism is part of the business and if she can't take it she should retire.
Her version of this song has been paraded & criticized all over the world. I would think it wise in her part to take a look at the criticism and see what can she can learn.
I think she's been stubborn not listening to the criticism. Neither the criticism nor her singing of this have changed. What does that tell you?
tenore23 2 years ago
it tells that she does not care and she can use her aritistry outside the narrow boxes of people's minds and make something beautiful! she's an artist-- it's what she does!!
ronies78 2 years ago
Do you really want to have this discussion with me? Have you taken a look at the score? Have you taken a look at the Gershwin style? Have you paid attention?
This arrangement has been criticized for being overindulgent, ugly & contrary to the style & the spirit of the piece. Even as "something new", she's been criticized for not offering anything that someone hasn't done before & better in this piece.
People appreciate trial and error, but when the error is repeated ad nauseam there's a limit
tenore23 2 years ago
Arlen wrote this piece, not Gershwin. And as for not offering anything new, ha! To imply that a musician should approach a work with a deep concern for originality is just silly. And as for serving the original intent of the score, we're talking about a song which is probably the most wildly known in the American Songbook and has been adopted into our cultural heritage to such a degree that inevitably it has evolved over time in a range of interpretations.
musiclawton 2 years ago
It can be sang with naivety, cynicism, hopefulness, despair or gravitas - that ambiguity and universality is part of what makes it an important and lasting work.
musiclawton 2 years ago
She also leaves too long of an interlude between phrases which gives the overall piece a sense of disconnection. I'm also not sure about that jazz bit at the end but ultimately she is the artist so I respect her decisions. Another thing, she actually bowed before the audience started clapping at the end of the piece which was a bit bizarre, although I've never seen her do that before...all in all she's much better in other repertoire.
jgdmol4l 2 years ago
She's the most superb performer, the room is white hot for her and she just wants to thank a foreigh audience with a song she thinks they all know and love, nothing more, just a message of love and hope to finish off a highly successful evening with gratitude and positivity, and they love it just as she wanted them to.
lady00010 2 years ago 4
okay...I understand that this song is beautiful and why she insists on singing it but in my humble opinion the original version from the Wizard of Oz sung by Judy Garland is by far the best. Renee of course has the right to do her own interpretation of the song, as have many others but for someone with such a beautiful instrument, imo, she falls short here and this is why:
She does some variations on the melody that are not necessary-she needs to realize that less is more sometimes...
jgdmol4l 2 years ago
i enjoy renee in some repertoire, but here she just sounds drunk...
operatube 2 years ago